Wire-fence latch



(No Model.)

L. R. ORR.

WIRE FENCE LATCH. No. 311,603. Patented Feb. 8, 1885.

Nv PETERS PIwIwLIIhQgH her. Washinglun. D c.

UNITED STATES Parnnr Fries.

LEVI R. ORR, OF WATERMAN, ILLINOIS.

WIRE-FENCE LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,603, dated February 3, 1885.

Application filed February 12, 1884. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI R. ORR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waterman, in the county of De Kalb and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vire-Fence Latches, of which the following is a specification, to wit:

This invention relates to an improvement in wire-fence latches; and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction and arrangement of the same whereby the wire can more readily be given the proper tension, substantially as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which myipventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and arrangement, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side View of my latch in practical use, and Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of the two parts of the same.

A represents a metal frame provided at one end with an eye, a, for attachment to thetencewire, and also with a series of cross-bars, a, equally spaced, as shown.

B is a lever, having a double bond at b, and formed on its shorter arm with an eye, I), and on its longer arm with a hook, b the purpose of which will be presently seen.

In the use of wire fences it is often necessary to cut the wires at certain points to pass a team in or out of a field where it is not desirable to place a gate of ordinary form. this is done, it is necessary to provide some means for joining the ends of the wires and pulling them up to the proper tension again, and for this purpose I design this invention. The ends of the severed wire are attached, respectively, to the eyes a b and drawn up as far as can be done by the hands. The free end of the lever is then passed through one of the openings in the part A till the bent portion comes lVh en in contact with a cross-banand it is then drawn over and its hook engaged with the wire, as shown in Fig. 1, when the device is locked. The act ofd rawing down the lever also stretches up the wire from both sides equally and puts the proper tension upon it.

I am aware that a latch has been used c0nsisting of a lever and a link, the link engaging with one of a series of notches on the shank of the lever; but in that case the amount of tension given the wires is not equal, as if it be only possible to draw the link up with the hands, to engage with one of the outer notches, then in throwing thelever over, the wire will he strained up a considerable distance; but if the link can be engaged with another notch there ,will be a loss in tension equal to the gain in pulling it up by hand.

It will be seen at once that my device always strains up the wire agivendistance irrespective of where the lever is engaged.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a wire-fence latch, a bent or shouldered lever having a hook at one end and an eye at the other, in combination with a link or frame having an eye at one end, and a series of cross-bars formed across it at suitable intervals, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a wire-fencelatch, thelever B, formed with the eye I), hand I), and hook I), in combination withthe link or frame A, having eye a and cross-bars a, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEVI It. ORR.

Witnesses:

HARRY BRODBURY, O. D. HALL. 

